problems with pop and smtp mail

[Rober]

Hi all,
I´m new on this forum. I use the pop mail, with port 26. This kind of mail ever was good, but since two weeks ago it started to go slowly. The speed of the pop (download mails) is good, but the speed of the upload mails smtp is really slow. I use Entourage on a Macbook and the software says me during a long time "Connecting to the server". This was working good during a lot of months but now it goes slowly. Why? It´s the server? It´s me?
I tried to install the certificate to use the SSL encryption but I don´t know how I can get the certificate for Entourage and I don´t know how to install it.
I will be very grateful is someone helps me.
Thanx to all.
Rober.

[Rober]

Please, someone helps me???:):(:confused::o

[Early Out]

Two hours ago, I would have said that there was some sort of problem on your end, but my own SMTP connection has just turned into a slow crawl. The outgoing messages eventually do go, but it takes a couple of minutes.

I spent 30 minutes on Live Chat, with no resolution. Telnet to the box is painfully slow (and I tried several different boxes), there's nothing wrong with the tracert, and switching between ports 25 and 26 doesn't make any difference. Last but not least, there's no problem with SMTP to my own ISP, so that rules out a lot of the usual suspects.

Personally, I'm going to give a little time, just to see if it magically cures itself. If not, I'll get back on Live Chat and see if I can't get it escalated.

[Rober]

Two hours ago, I would have said that there was some sort of problem on your end, but my own SMTP connection has just turned into a slow crawl. The outgoing messages eventually do go, but it takes a couple of minutes.

I spent 30 minutes on Live Chat, with no resolution. Telnet to the box is painfully slow (and I tried several different boxes), there's nothing wrong with the tracert, and switching between ports 25 and 26 doesn't make any difference. Last but not least, there's no problem with SMTP to my own ISP, so that rules out a lot of the usual suspects.

Personally, I'm going to give a little time, just to see if it magically cures itself. If not, I'll get back on Live Chat and see if I can't get it escalated.

Thanx!!!!!

[Early Out]

About 20 minutes ago, the SMTP performance improved dramatically. Outgoing messages started moving in about 6-7 seconds, instead of the 2+ minutes they were taking yesterday. Telnet response also dropped from over 60 seconds to about 6 seconds.

I'm guessing that someone has reset something, or fixed something. It's still not really "snappy," but it's down in the "good enough for email" range. Try yours again.

To eliminate other possible causes, try a simple telnet to your server. On a Mac, call up the Terminal application, then enter:

telnet boxXXX.bluehost.com 26

(using your actual box number, of course). It should come back pretty quickly with a message to the effect that you can't send bulk mail. What we're interested in is the response time - how quickly does that message appear? To get out of telnet, just type quit.

The response time on my own box is down to about 6 seconds, but I just tried a couple of other boxes, and they're still taking over a minute to respond!

[Rober]

About 20 minutes ago, the SMTP performance improved dramatically. Outgoing messages started moving in about 6-7 seconds, instead of the 2+ minutes they were taking yesterday. Telnet response also dropped from over 60 seconds to about 6 seconds.

I'm guessing that someone has reset something, or fixed something. It's still not really "snappy," but it's down in the "good enough for email" range. Try yours again.

To eliminate other possible causes, try a simple telnet to your server. On a Mac, call up the Terminal application, then enter:

telnet boxXXX.bluehost.com 26

(using your actual box number, of course). It should come back pretty quickly with a message to the effect that you can't send bulk mail. What we're interested in is the response time - how quickly does that message appear? To get out of telnet, just type quit.

The response time on my own box is down to about 6 seconds, but I just tried a couple of other boxes, and they're still taking over a minute to respond!

Hi, i tried like you said me and I obtained this result: the response come back on 1'05´´(65 seconds!!!!!!!!)))). My box is 406.
Thanx for the Terminal tutorial, i didn´t know that :)
What can I do?

Rober.

[Early Out]

Put in a ticket on it. I'm seeing the same result on virtually any box other than mine (306), which means that they've still got a problem out there. If people don't report it, they won't think there's trouble.

Keep it simple, so they don't launch into telling you how to configure Entourage. Just tell them that telnet box406.bluehost.com 26 is taking over 60 seconds to respond, that it's causing very slow mail sending, and that there's clearly something wrong.

[Rober]

Put in a ticket on it. I'm seeing the same result on virtually any box other than mine (306), which means that they've still got a problem out there. If people don't report it, they won't think there's trouble.

Keep it simple, so they don't launch into telling you how to configure Entourage. Just tell them that telnet box406.bluehost.com 26 is taking over 60 seconds to respond, that it's causing very slow mail sending, and that there's clearly something wrong.

OK, I will do it. Very very thanx for your quickly answers and your interest!

Rober.

[Early Out]

I spoke too soon. Box306 is back to the 60+ second telnet response. :(

[Rober]

I spoke too soon. Box306 is back to the 60+ second telnet response. :(

Hi, really there is something wrong. I explain: yesterday morning it seems to goes well, on afternoon it was wrong. Today morning, again it seems to goes well. We will see this afternoon. (Note that hour change, I am in Spain).

[Shopicardia.net]

Hello Rober:

As you can see, I have just logued in the forums in order to publish my ideas and try to help others with some of the problems our domains can have.

I have tried the other 10 domains that I have hosted under box406 and every of them are working fine, so I am starting to think the problem is with the connection or, maybe, any kind of update in your MAC operating system.

The box406 only send the SSL when you connect directly using the por 465 and you specify the SSL/TSL connection in your email client.

The other way, the normal way, is to use mail.productosbmm.com as mail servers both send and receive with the 26 and 110 ports.

Try to use you own mail server (mail.productosbmm.com) and tell me about this.

See you! :D

[Rober]

Hello Rober:

As you can see, I have just logued in the forums in order to publish my ideas and try to help others with some of the problems our domains can have.

I have tried the other 10 domains that I have hosted under box406 and every of them are working fine, so I am starting to think the problem is with the connection or, maybe, any kind of update in your MAC operating system.

The box406 only send the SSL when you connect directly using the por 465 and you specify the SSL/TSL connection in your email client.

The other way, the normal way, is to use mail.productosbmm.com as mail servers both send and receive with the 26 and 110 ports.

Try to use you own mail server (mail.productosbmm.com) and tell me about this.

See you! :D

How do you know my domain? I never didn´t name it on this post! ;)
Ok, your answer is the same that you told me in the past. This not solution my issue. As you can see on this post, there are more users wiht this problem, and this user checked it by telnet and obtained the same result that mine: more than a minute waiting the result!
Otherway, I have used this way of mail during more than 6 months, and it goes well. Why now not? Uhm? My MAC? Jejeje... this is the simple answer. I can´t believe that you tell me this solution, you are an intelligent person, I know it.
Regards,
Rober.

[Early Out]

...I am starting to think the problem is with the connection or, maybe, any kind of update in your MAC operating system.
Can't be. I'm connecting from CT, in the U.S., and I'm on a PC, not a Mac. Yet I'm seeing exactly the same problem.


The box406 only send the SSL when you connect directly using the por 465 and you specify the SSL/TSL connection in your email client.
Using telnet, SSL is irrelevant. This is a simple, "Hello mailserver. Are you there?" command.


Try to use you own mail server (mail.productosbmm.com) and tell me about this.
The problem is the same whether you use boxXXX.bluehost.com, mail.yourdomain.com, or the raw IP address for the box.

[Shopicardia.net]

The problem is there are more than one domain in that bluehost box and nobody's having problems. Also, my own shopicardia.net and shopicardia.com are working fine receiving and sending mail.

I think we have to wait for the bluehost people in order to know.

[Early Out]

I'm seeing the same problem trying to telnet to ANY Bluehost box. Domains don't enter into it - this is a probably a firewall or router problem on BH's end, but I'm having trouble convincing them.

[Rober]

The problem is there are more than one domain in that bluehost box and nobody's having problems. Also, my own shopicardia.net and shopicardia.com are working fine receiving and sending mail.

I think we have to wait for the bluehost people in order to know.

Shopicardia.net, you have chosen the right pill.

[Early Out]

Until they fix it, there is a simple way around the problem, and that's just to use your own ISP's SMTP server to handle your outgoing email traffic. The messages will still appear to come from yourname@yourdomain.com - it's only the actual routing of the message that will be different.

In Outlook, which is very similar to Entourage, you do this by changing the outgoing server on your account to your ISP's SMTP server (instead of mail.yourdomain.com). Then you choose More Settings, and on the Outgoing Server tab, you tell it that the outgoing server requires authentication, but instead of using the same account as the incoming side, you tell it to login using your ISP email username and password.

Also, remember to switch it to port 25, since your own ISP probably doesn't use port 26 for outgoing mail.

[drettig]

Hello, I have finally joined the forums. I have not had a problem with BH until now, and it is the same problem as described in this thread. I have sent in a ticket on this issue. I certainly hope they take the time to correct this problem.

[Early Out]

Glad to see someone else checking in - the more people who report the same thing, particularly when they're coming from different places, the more likely it is that BH will take it seriously, instead of doing the usual "blame the user's configuration or his connection" routine.

Just out of curiosity, where are you located?

[Rober]

Glad to see someone else checking in - the more people who report the same thing, particularly when they're coming from different places, the more likely it is that BH will take it seriously, instead of doing the usual "blame the user's configuration or his connection" routine.

Just out of curiosity, where are you located?

I opened a ticket too. Thanx for your help Early Out.

[Early Out]

Now I've got BH support people telling me that I've got two layers of NAT translation on my end, and that I should be seeing problems using the Internet at all. This is nonsense, of course - the only connection in the entire world that's giving me problems right now is a port 25 or port 26 connection to any BH box, which produces a precise, 65-second delay. On everything else, I'm getting the solid 10mb down/1mb up connection I've always gotten.

As loyal as I am to BH, the standard "blame the user" approach of most help desks makes me crazy. When I was a sysadmin, I had to beat that out of the guys who worked for me.

[Rober]

Now I've got BH support people telling me that I've got two layers of NAT translation on my end, and that I should be seeing problems using the Internet at all. This is nonsense, of course - the only connection in the entire world that's giving me problems right now is a port 25 or port 26 connection to any BH box, which produces a precise, 65-second delay. On everything else, I'm getting the solid 10mb down/1mb up connection I've always gotten.

As loyal as I am to BH, the standard "blame the user" approach of most help desks makes me crazy. When I was a sysadmin, I had to beat that out of the guys who worked for me.

Dear Early Out,
don´t worry, they are fool people.
By my way, I´m waiting the answer to my ticket.
I think that if you, Shopicardia.net, drettig and I had put a ticket, they will pay attention.
I think that this issue is the same thing that a general down: nobody knows what is occuring but it resolves itself with time ;)

[wilsonmh]

Hey guys, I wanted to let you know that your complaints have reached the top. (And then bounced back down to the bottom where I am :) ) Since mail is somewhat my department I will be working this problem to resolution. So far my biggest obstacle is reproducing the problem long enough for me to get some good data to follow. Please PM me and I will give you my direct contact info.

I apologize that this took so long to make it to me.

[Shopicardia.net]

I have tried to telnet to box406.bluehost.com 26 and I get a response in just 2 seconds (spain time 8:54 AM). I have to tell you I don't have a good ADSL connection here (jazztel with only 400Kb download and 50Kb upload but fixed IP).

I cannot know what is happening with rober's connection.

Rober, how long it takes when you use your browser to connect to the smtp server via webmail?

(The last problems I have had with some of the domains I host in BH are about losing passwords or when the customer change the password and he didn't remember he changed it ;))

[Rober]

Hey guys, I wanted to let you know that your complaints have reached the top. (And then bounced back down to the bottom where I am :) ) Since mail is somewhat my department I will be working this problem to resolution. So far my biggest obstacle is reproducing the problem long enough for me to get some good data to follow. Please PM me and I will give you my direct contact info.

I apologize that this took so long to make it to me.

Hi wilsonmh, thank for your help.
I think that all I can say is now in the post. Please, tell me what kind of info do you need and I will try to get it for you.

Thanx.

[Rober]

BH has good customer support, but sometimes you have to bug them and call their lines from time to time.http://www.image-jump.com/image/Q/8.gif

I see. Thanx.

[Early Out]

Please PM me and I will give you my direct contact info.
Will do, but at the moment, I've got a 200' driveway with a fresh snowfall on it to deal with. :D

In the meantime, a few quick experiments that are at least interesting:

telnet box306.bluehost.com 25: 65 seconds to respond
telnet box306.bluehost.com 26: 65 seconds to respond
telnet box306.bluehost.com 110: instant response
telnet box306.bluehost.com 143: instant response
telnet box306.bluehost.com 465: never responds
telnet box306.bluehost.com 993: never responds
telnet box306.bluehost.com 995: never responds

telnet mail.charter.net 25: instant response
telnet smtp.comcast.net 25: 5 seconds to respond

I'm guessing the "never responds" ports are simply reflecting the fact that telnet has no SSL option (at least none that I'm aware of).

Note those last two, however, telnetting to the mail servers of two completely different ISPs - my ISP is obviously not blocking port 25, or doing anything strange to it. Only port 25 on BH takes a long time to come back. I don't see how any configuration on my end could account for that - it just doesn't make any sense.

Tests on boxes other than 306 produce identical results.

Using Charter's SMTP server on port 25 for the outgoing side of my email works fine, but for the past year, I haven't needed to do that.

Switching to SSL on 465 within Outlook produces the same result as non-SSL on 25 or 26 - it takes an outgoing message about 2 minutes to move.

[wilsonmh]

Hi wilsonmh, thank for your help.
I think that all I can say is now in the post. Please, tell me what kind of info do you need and I will try to get it for you.

Thanx.

Rober,

My direct contact info will just let you call me when the problem happens instead of hoping it will get escalated through support. This would be great for me since I have yet to reproduce the problem.

[Rober]

Will do, but at the moment, I've got a 200' driveway with a fresh snowfall on it to deal with. :D

In the meantime, a few quick experiments that are at least interesting:

telnet box306.bluehost.com 25: 65 seconds to respond
telnet box306.bluehost.com 26: 65 seconds to respond
telnet box306.bluehost.com 110: instant response
telnet box306.bluehost.com 143: instant response
telnet box306.bluehost.com 465: never responds
telnet box306.bluehost.com 993: never responds
telnet box306.bluehost.com 995: never responds

telnet mail.charter.net 25: instant response
telnet smtp.comcast.net 25: 5 seconds to respond

I'm guessing the "never responds" ports are simply reflecting the fact that telnet has no SSL option (at least none that I'm aware of).

Note those last two, however, telnetting to the mail servers of two completely different ISPs - my ISP is obviously not blocking port 25, or doing anything strange to it. Only port 25 on BH takes a long time to come back. I don't see how any configuration on my end could account for that - it just doesn't make any sense.

Tests on boxes other than 306 produce identical results.

Using Charter's SMTP server on port 25 for the outgoing side of my email works fine, but for the past year, I haven't needed to do that.

Switching to SSL on 465 within Outlook produces the same result as non-SSL on 25 or 26 - it takes an outgoing message about 2 minutes to move.

Please, don´t forget that my box is 406.
I´m checking it changing DNS of my ISP. But it seems that goes by the same way. 65 seconds to response.

Thanx.

[Early Out]

I've been talking to one of the admins at BH, and they think they've tracked down the source of the problem - he didn't say exactly what it was, but it's definitely on their end. They've put in a temporary fix until they figure out how to deploy a proper solution. So, help is definitely on the way! I suspect that they'll have it completely cracked today sometime.

[Rober]

I've been talking to one of the admins at BH, and they think they've tracked down the source of the problem - he didn't say exactly what it was, but it's definitely on their end. They've put in a temporary fix until they figure out how to deploy a proper solution. So, help is definitely on the way! I suspect that they'll have it completely cracked today sometime.

Excellent news!!! Then we only have to wait to resolve the problem by bluehost team? Ok, I ever thought that BH has good support. We are in good hands.
Cand I do something more by my side?

[Early Out]

I think you just need to sit tight, and wait. They know what's doing it, and just need to work out the right way to fix it.

[Rober]

I think you just need to sit tight, and wait. They know what's doing it, and just need to work out the right way to fix it.

Do you know something more? On what step we are?

[Early Out]

Actually, I believe that if you try it now, you'll get a better response. I just telnetted to your box, and it came back within 10 seconds. Still not great, but good enough for email.

The problem is a very complicated one, having to do both with a bug in BH's name resolution binding, and with some problems with reverse DNS on the user's ISP end (in my case, Charter has some nameservers that aren't responding properly).

[Early Out]

I'm now getting virtually instantaneous response when telnetting to any BH box on either port 25 or 26, which makes me think they've cracked the problem.

[Rober]

I'm now getting virtually instantaneous response when telnetting to any BH box on either port 25 or 26, which makes me think they've cracked the problem.

Sure? I don´t have a better time.

[Early Out]

Sorry to hear it's still not working well for you - when I telnet to box406 now, it comes back instantly.

See your private messages.

[Rober]

Sorry to hear it's still not working well for you - when I telnet to box406 now, it comes back instantly.

See your private messages.

I see. Now I just contacted with Spencer.
Thanx.